If You Think I Didn't
by SlimReaper
Summary: "How about a chance to make your life matter, Loki?" Fury said. "We could make your name mean something more than mischief and evil. Wouldn't you like to be one of the good guys?" One-shot just for fun. Thor, Loki, Stark, Fury, Hawkeye, Jane F.


**This is just a little thing that grabbed my brain and had to be written. It goes along with the After The Fall/Mirrors and Shadows world, but I'm not sure it'll actually fit in anywhere in the storyline, so I decided to just post it as a one-shot. If you don't know what Loki and Stark are referring to, you can look at After The Fall to find out. Anyway, hope y'all like it!**

.

"Brother, you worry too much."

Thor elbowed Loki as they left Jane and Taryn happily soaking up the sun beside the hotel pool. Loki found the accusation unfair since he knew that Thor had looked back just as many times as he had, but centuries of experience had taught him that no amount of argument ever worked on his brother. Instead, Loki contented himself with stating the obvious. "SHIELD still has an active warrant for her arrest, and we are walking straight up to them."

"Nothing will happen to her here." Thor repeated the same thing he'd said a hundred times since they'd arrived on Midgard. "They wanted you to join them. The charges against her were only ever a ruse to get your attention."

Loki's mouth twisted as he remembered the battle at Taryn's house when Iron Man and Hulk had come to try to take her back into SHIELD custody and the utter ruin that had been left behind. Perhaps _crater_ would be a more apt description of what had remained of her home when that battle was done. Loki hadn't been impressed with their method of requesting him to join. "It worked," he said dryly.

"And now we are giving them what they want," Thor continued, ignoring that.

"I am merely meeting Fury," Loki corrected his brother as they entered the hotel lobby. "I promised nothing beyond that."

"That's all I meant," Thor replied, unfussed.

Loki sighed and looked around the lavish room, searching for Colonel Fury. The man did tend to stand out with his bald head, eyepatch, and penchant for black leather, but Loki didn't see the SHIELD commander anywhere. He did, however, recognize Tony Stark leaning against the check-in desk. "Fantastic," he muttered, wondering if he was walking into a meeting or a rematch.

He didn't hesitate, though. He was certain this time that Thor would fight on his side, and the two of them together were unstoppable no matter what SHIELD chose to throw at them.

Stark turned as the two of them approached. "Ahh, there you are," he said, smiling as though the last time he'd been this close to Loki, they hadn't been doing their level best to pull each other's spines out. He clasped hands with Thor, then offered his hand to Loki. "You look different in that get-up," he said, looking him up and down in his Midgard attire and waiting to see if Loki would shake with him. "Your regular get-up at the tailor's?"

After a moment, Loki did. "As do you," he replied just as dryly, cocking an eyebrow at Stark's expensive suit. "Still having the dents knocked out of yours?"

Stark laughed and released Loki's hand. "I think I might like this guy when he's not trying to kick the shit out of me," he told Thor, clapping the big god on the back. "Come on. Meeting's in the bar."

"Why the bar?" Thor asked as Stark led them toward it.

"Because that's where I'm taking you and they'll eventually look there," he replied, grinning, and Loki snorted a little laugh, recognizing a kindred spirit in the man. "Name your poison, boys, first round's on Fury."

Thor had a beer and Stark ordered a martini. After a moment's thought, Loki requested the same as Stark. "Now," the billionaire said as they all sipped their drinks, "before Fury gets here and goes all SHIELD-psycho on us, maybe you'll humor me and answer a few questions."

"Maybe," Loki said, sipping the martini again. The drink was clean, dry, with a hint of salt from the olive garnish, and burned his throat pleasantly on the way down. He decided he liked it. "Maybe not."

"First off, did you really make Fury beat himself up?"

Thor groaned and wiped a hand over his face. Loki grinned. "Yes."

Stark slapped the bar and laughed. "Hot damn, I'd have loved to see that!"

Still a bit angry about the destruction of Taryn's home, Loki put down his glass and leaned closer. "I can show you how it works any time you like," he said in a tone of velvet threat, and made Stark reach up and pinch his own nose. As his eyes widened, Loki released his control over the man's arm and relaxed back onto his stool again. "Just say the word."

Stark shook his hand and stared at it as though it belonged to an alien. "Two things," he said, still looking at his hand. "One, that's a fucking awesome trick. And two, are you still pissed at me?"

Loki swirled the martini gently. "I don't like getting awakened so early," he said mildly and Thor put a hand on his shoulder. His brother knew too well what it meant when Loki started to go cold like that.

"Yeah, okay, timing sucked, I get that," Stark said, holding up his hands in a _peace_ gesture. "But I was there on orders. You understand orders, right?"

Thor snorted and Loki smiled. "I spend my time ignoring such things, metal man."

"Dude, if I owe you a new house, just say the word," Stark offered.

"You owe _me_ nothing."

Thor cleared his throat. "I believe you owe his lady a new house," he put in.

Stark nodded, eyes narrowing in understanding. "So our mark that day really _was_ your girlfriend. I wondered. We weren't told to take her, you know, just to get her to convince you to talk to us. It wasn't supposed to be a fight."

Loki raised an eyebrow. "Yes, I could tell that," he replied sarcastically. "The big giveaway was your green friend knocking down the walls."

"I think he did that because you threw a big-ass snake at him," Stark pointed out. "It got him angry. As he'll be the first to tell you, you won't like him when he's angry."

Loki remembered the snake he'd won for Taryn leaping out and attacking the intruders. It was immediately after that when things went to hell. "I didn't throw the snake, and I don't think I'd like him at any time at all," Loki said, and then they all turned at the sound of the bar doors closing behind them.

Fury stood beside the doors, glaring at the three of them. Stark stood and waved. "Oh, hey there," he said with a smile. "Join us. It's almost time for round two anyway. I put it on your credit card, by the way–you don't mind, do you?"

"I don't have a credit card," Fury said in level, dangerous tones.

"You do now," Stark replied, still smiling. "You're getting near your credit limit, too. If you need a loan, I could give you a good rate. Let's discuss it over a drink."

"Stark, you are dismissed," Fury growled, making no move to come closer.

The billionaire held up his glass, contemplated the last few drops, then drank them and put the glass back on the bar. "Ah well, it wasn't dirty enough for me anyway," he said, then winked at Loki and Thor. "And the neighborhood's gone to crap now. Have fun, boys. Good seeing you again, Thor, and you too, Loki. Bye." He patted Fury on the bald head as he walked out and Loki half expected him to pull back a bloody stump from the rage on the Colonel's face at that treatment. Yes, Loki thought, he might be able to like Stark.

Thor stood as Fury approached, but Loki didn't. He owed this man nothing–certainly not respect. "Thor," Fury said in gruff greeting, but he didn't take his eyes off Loki. "Are you here in peace?" he asked bluntly.

"Are you?" Loki shot back.

There was a long, tense moment, and finally Fury nodded. "For now, I am," he replied, but his tone made it clear that he didn't like it. "I have been given authorization to admit you to the Avengers Initiative. Do you accept?"

"Accept what? You've told me nothing." Loki finished his drink and stood beside Thor, facing Fury. "Offer me something and we'll talk."

"I can offer immunity to your girlfriend," Fury said quietly. "No prosecution for sheltering you. She gets her life back, a new house, a teaching position, whatever. How does that strike you?"

Loki crossed his arms over his chest, not impressed. They'd anticipated this approach and discussed it before they came, and Taryn had been very clear on this. Her life was in Asgard now. "She wants nothing from you. Offer something else."

"How about a chance to make your life matter again?" Fury said, stepping closer. "We could make your name mean something more than just mischief and evil. Wouldn't you like to be one of the good guys?"

"Loki's life matters already." Thor's voice was a deep rumble like the thunder he commanded.

Fury waved that away, still staring at Loki unblinkingly. "Your professor could stop teaching tales of your trickery and teach your victories protecting humanity instead."

"You would do well," Loki said blandly, his tone utterly emotionless and his body very still, "not to bring her into this conversation again, Colonel."

Fury started to speak, then caught Thor's eye and stopped. Then he shrugged. "Your choice," he said, inclining his head. "I don't think there's anything I can say to sway you one way or the other. How about this? Come with us for a few days. Go on a few missions. See for yourself what we're all about. Then decide if you want to join up or stay on the sidelines. What do you say?" When Loki didn't immediately reply, he said, "Regardless of your decision, I will remove those charges against Professor Roswell. Call it a gesture of good faith," he added when Loki's eyes narrowed as if expecting a trick.

Loki felt Thor's hand on his shoulder and abruptly nodded. "Fine," he said curtly. "I will join you on a trial basis. One week only. After that, I will give you my final decision."

Fury smiled for the first time. "That's all we can ask."

Loki nodded and walked past Fury, unlocking the door with a touch and opening it. Fury's voice stopped him before he could lead Thor through it, though. "But you'll have to step up your game, magic man," Fury said coldly. "Your friends at the pool have been under our surveillance since they arrived. If you're as good as your brother says, you should've spotted them."

"If you think I didn't," Loki replied without turning, "then there's no reason for you to check in with your watchers, is there?" And then he and Thor left.

Fury stared at the closed door for a moment before lifting his radio and calling the watchers. "Standard check-in," he barked into the walkie-talkie. "Report and weapons check."

There was a hiss of static, then Hawkeye's voice came back laden with sarcasm. "Maybe if we _had_ weapons, that wouldn't be a problem. As it is, you'll have to see for yourself, Colonel. Was this some kind of joke?"

It took Fury three minutes to ascend to the nearby roof and meet up with Hawkeye. It took another sixty seconds before he stopped cussing at the sight of the floppy, rubber toy rifles his men brought for his inspection. "Damned magic bastard," Fury growled, kicking Hawkeye's bow and sending it slithering over the gravel-topped roof.

If he managed to get through this trial period with Loki without having an aneurism from sheer frustration, Fury thought, he'd be damn lucky.

.

**Hee hee hee, it's so fun to piss of Fury!**


End file.
